In this uplifting but nearly forgotten story, six boys were shipwrecked on a desert island for over a year. Instead of succumbing to their darker natures, they survived through friendship and cooperation.
Tonight, we have a story of solidarity, hope and ultimately survival in the face of adversity. It took place more than fifty years ago, but when it was rediscovered last year it caused a sensation. As we first told you earlier this year, it s a tale of a group of schoolboys stranded on a remote and deserted island for more than 15 months. It might remind you of the famous novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding but as you ll see, the outcome of this real-life story could not have been more different.
The story begins in 1965. Mano Totau and five of his friends were studying at a boarding school in Tonga, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Bored, rebellious, and yearning for adventure they stole a traditional whaling boat and with reckless abandon they set off for Fiji.